【Kaohsiung News】Premier Chen Chien-jen of the Executive Yuan and Mayor Chen of Kaohsiung City visited Yanhai 2nd Rd., Xiaogang District, Kaohsiung City today (November 11) to inspect the planned route of National Highway No. 7. He was accompanied by a team led by Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chi-mai, as well as numerous legislators, congressmen and local representatives. Mayor Chen Chi-mai expressed gratitude to the Executive Yuan and the central government’s team for their assistance and support for Kaohsiung. Mayor Chen Chi-mai said that National Highway No. 7 is a significant national infrastructure project the people of Kaohsiung has been enthusiastically anticipated for 15 years and was finally materialized. It will effectively alleviate traffic congestion caused by container trucks, ensure traffic safety, and is crucial to the port area’s overall development. The Kaohsiung City Government will fully support the central government’s construction acceleration initiative.
Premier Chen Chien-jen acknowledged the importance and urgency of National Highway No. 7 and requested that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) complete the project by June 2030. At the same time, he validated Mayor Chen Chi-mai’s work ethic of maintaining a strict schedule and the efforts of the local people’s representatives to win and listen to public opinion, seeking more benefits for the local development of Kaohsiung City and making a significant contribution. It is also expected that the central and local governments will cooperate in the future, so that Kaohsiung’s sea, land, and air construction projects can be put in place step by step.
Mayor Chen Chien-mai thanked Premier Chen Chien-jen and former Premier Su Tseng-chang for their strong support for National Highway No. 7 and led the local legislators, councilors and city government team to extend appreciation to the Executive Yuan. He also thanked the local village heads for their assistance, especially their strong support during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) meeting last year, which was successfully completed.
Mayor Chen Chi-mai stated that National Highway No. 7 put in 15 years of hard work, such that the 10-year Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had been approved by the Executive Yuan, and that construction was about to commence. The National Highway No. 7 will effectively alleviate port-area traffic congestion caused by container trucks along the port area and improves traffic safety. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance traffic flow in Xiaogang, Daliao and Linyuan. In the future, this will include land acquisition and changes to urban planning, and the city government will work closely with the central government on all other assistance matters.
Chen Chi-mai noted that in addition to National Highway No. 7, Legislators Li Kun-tse, Lai Jui-lung and Lin Tai-hua have been actively working for a Kaohsiung-Pingtnung Second Expressway and the Bade 2nd Road Interchange. The Executive Yuan and central ministries will continue to provide Kaohsiung with substantial assistance and support.
Mayor Chen Chi-mai also designated the city government team and the MOTC to set up communication platforms, as there are still many major transportation constructions that require integration, including container truck lanes, Mass Rapid Transit (Xiaogang Linyuan Line), Kaohsiung-Pingtung 2nd Expressway and HSR south extension. In addition, the National Freeway No. 7’s urban planning change and land acquisition also require communication and coordination, inter-integrated interface and process coordination by the central and local governments. Mayor Chen Chi-mai also emphasized the need to protect the rights and interests of the people and establish open communication channels with the people. He also urged everyone to provide the utmost assistance and that the central and local governments should collaborate to maximize the project’s benefits so that it can be completed on time and with high standards.
According to MOTC Minister Wang Kwo-tsai, the construction of the National Highway No. 7 has two significant implications. The second and third coastal roads’ traffic safety will be vastly improved, and the local traffic environment will become “refreshing.” National Highway No. 7 can effectively relieve the congestion on National Highway No. 1 Dingjin and Provincial Highway No. 88, and its completion and opening to traffic is scheduled for June 2030.
Director-general Chao Hsing-hua of the Freeway Bureau, MOTC stated that National Highway No. 7 has officially entered the design phase, and there are some engineering requirements requiring cross-agency integration and coordination, which will be expedited. It will subsequently cooperate with the Kaohsiung city Government to expeditiously manage urban planning changes and land acquisition operations. It is anticipated to be completed and open to traffic in 2030.